Berlin is the city of Kaiser Bill and the First World War; Sally Bowles and Cabaret; Hitler, the Nazis and the Second World War; East, West, communism, capitalism, the Cold War, and the dividing Wall.

It was at the heart of conflicts for 100 years, but now the Wall is down, it is reunited, and once more capital of one Germany. It also hosted this year's World Cup Final.

We went for a short visit and were captivated by a vibrant, exciting and fascinating city, full of glorious old buildings and spectacular new ones. I guarantee the brilliance of Berlin will sweep you away. We are already planning a return.

We flew with easyJet from Newcastle and wanted a hotel close to the speedy rail link from the airport so picked the Jolly Hotel Vivaldi on Friedrichstrasse, just minutes from Friedrichstrasse station.

At reasonable cost, we found ourselves in a modern, luxury, classy and friendly hotel along, we quickly discovered, with lots of other happy Brits.

It proved an outstanding choice and a perfect base for exploring a city that has excellent, inexpensive eating places and is easy to get around.

Friedrichstrasse is crossed by one of the world's most famous thoroughfares, the tree-lined, blue-lit Unter den Linden with its equally famous Brandenburg Gate.

We went through its arches to discover the new Reichstag where the German Parliament meets. The daylight views from its cupola are said to be breathtaking, but so are the queues. We went next night, walked straight in and found the vistas of neon-lit Berlin pretty wonderful too.

In the other direction is the island in the River Spree where most of the city's museums are being developed, plus the imposing old Berliner Dom, the city's largest and most lavish church.

We wanted to see the ancient Egyptian collection and the fabulous bust of the beautiful Nefertiti. Ignore the guide books - these are currently in the Altes Museum.

Nefertiti was queen of Egypt from 1352-1336BC and probably ruled as Pharaoh as Tutankhamun's predecessor. Her very Northern European good looks made her a big hit with Hitler.

The imperious Humboldt University is across the way with the site of the infamous Nazi burning of the books. The spot is marked by a simple window on the floor best visited at night when the symbolic rows of bookless shelves below are most clearly visible.

Around the old buildings, magnificent new ones are going up everywhere. This is because we were in the formerly downtrodden communist East. The amazing changes mean Friedrichstrasse is now one of Berlin's smartest shopping streets.

Its most famous attraction, however, is Checkpoint Charlie which used to separate Soviet from Allied-controlled Berlin. The extensive Checkpoint Charlie Museum is here, plus a reconstructed charity checkpoint where you can have your picture taken with the "border guards".

The Wall itself has been totally removed but sections pop up all over the city, including one just around the corner in front of the Nazi prison where inmates were murdered.

The Nazis had their government offices along Wilhelmstrasse. Hitler built his new Reich chancellery there but, destroyed by Allied bombs, its place is now taken by a block of offices, apartments and restaurants.

The reinforced bunker from where he waged the last days of the war and committed suicide has been filled in and is now a quiet, hidden, childrens playground.

Berlin's main shopping street is Kurfurstendamm but war memories come back here too. The remains of Kaiser Bill's bomb ravaged church, nicknamed the "Hollow Tooth," stand out dramatically amid the grand stores as a stark warning against war, while the Berlin Story museum with its working nuclear bunker built to hold 3,500 city dwellers is down a sidestreet.

Our visit also took in the castle at Charlottenburg, a river trip and lots more but plenty remains for next time.

The locals are friendly and welcoming too though this did not run to warning us about lavender flavoured creme brulee until after we had inadvertently ordered it.